God Killer
by Yuriko Tsukino
Summary: Five hundred years in the future, Goku is no longer the cheerful boy his friends once knew. He has only one mission, and his only hope is that it kills him. GokuxSanzoxGoku. Finished.
1. Seiten Taisei Son Goku

A/N: So I'm back. For those of you who are reading this through my author's page, Heart's Desire is still on hiatus, and will be for some time. I've gotten sick of that story, and I felt like I've been writing the same chapter over and over and over again.

If you want updates on that, read my profile page. I always put notes at the bottom of the page.

Oh. These aren't my characters. I just play with them. I don't own any incarnation of Saiyuki or any of the characters, etc.

Anyway. Read and Review, please.

Chapter 1

Seiten Taisei Son Goku

"Sanzo, is it just me, or does the air seem a little…off around here?" Hakkai asked, slowing the jeep slightly.

"No. Something isn't right here," Sanzo replied, his revolver already in his hand. The forest air was tight, giving all of them (except Goku, who was snoring obliviously in the back seat) an ominous feeling.

There was a sudden explosion up ahead, and the ground shook from the force.

"What was that?" asked the rudely awakened monkey king.

"I don't know," Hakkai replied, pressing a little harder on the accelerator.

The jeep broke through a clearing, and right into the middle of a fight between two very powerful demons.

One was large and gray—typical demon, except that the air around him was bending in strange ways, and he seemed to suddenly appear and disappear as he jumped around, attacking his shorter, longhaired opponent. Both were moving too fast for them to get a good look at them, but they were both obviously stronger than any demon they had faced so far.

"Give me the scriptures!"

"Not a chance. I promised to guard these. There's no way I'd let you put your filthy paws on them."

The grey demon shot a fireball at his green clad opponent. When the dust and smoke cleared, the first demon was in a fighting stance, but the other was nowhere to be seen; in his place was a tall, thin red rod. Suddenly the rod was receding, bringing the shorter fighter back to ground level at stomach-flipping speed.

In less time than Sanzo or any of the others could blink, the long haired one was on the ground, his staff planted firmly in the ribcage of the other demon, who vanished a

moment later.

The second demon was left with his back to the four travelers, green cape and long brown hair fluttering in the breeze. The staff in his hand receded again before disappearing.

"Hey! That's my nyoi-bo!" Goku shouted, irate. The other party members started; he was right.

The stranger turned slightly at the voice, but even from just a partial profile he was familiar.

"Who the hell are you?" Gojyo snapped. There was no way this stranger could have Goku's face. It was impossible.

He turned further, facing them.

It _was_ Goku…yet not. He was taller. Older. He still wore the golden grown power limiter, but there were red jewels encrusted in it; a few seemed to be missing. He took a few steps toward the party, but instead of approaching them, he knelt, picking up two red stones from the dust; apparently knocked off in his fight.

The gems weren't the only changes to the power limiter. The crown itself was cracked and ragged, as though it had been beaten and broken many times.

And there were matching wrist cuffs.

_Three power limiters?_ Hakkai thought. _Three? But his crown is already the most powerful limiter created!_

The second Goku dropped the jewels into a small pouch at his belt. There was another one next to it with the end of a scroll sticking out.

_What's he doing with scriptures?_ Sanzo wondered, narrowing his eyes.

This new Goku looked up, and they could see that his apparel and hair weren't the only things about him that were different.

This Goku wasn't smiling. He wasn't whining. It was almost as though he couldn't see them at all, though he made eye contact with each of them. Those golden eyes, no longer wide and child-like, but narrowed. Blank. Devoid of any emotion at all.

"Damn," he muttered, looking away at last. "I should have made him take me back before I killed him."

"Take you back where? Who the hell are you?" Goku demanded, summoning his own nyoi-bo. "Why the fuck do you look like me?"

The newcomer looked at him steadily. "I wouldn't attack me if I were you," he said in a quiet monotone, almost too quiet to hear.

"RAAAA!" No royally pissed, Goku charged him, raising his nyoi-bo—

Then suddenly Goku was on the ground, his clone's hand at his neck, pinning him to the ground. Nyoi-bo forgotten, Goku clawed at the restraining hand, trying to release it.

"That's _enough_," the longhaired one said. "Do _not_ make me hurt you."

_Click_.

He looked up into the barrel of the banishing gun.

"I don't know who you are," Sanzo said, "and frankly I don't give a damn. But unless you want me to shoot you, start talking."

The second Goku straightened, releasing the other. "Kyonoi brought me here to cause trouble before turning me in to the Jade Emperor," he said at last.

"So you're from heaven then?" Hakkai asked, slightly confused; this second Goku was definitely more demon than god.

"No. I'm from the future," he replied. "Five hundred years from now, to be exact."

He offered his hand to Goku, pulling the shocked boy to his feet.

"That's impossible," Gojyo said, crossing is arms over his chest. "Sanzo, just shoot him already."

"It's the truth," the stranger replied. "Kyonoi is a demon who can bend time and space. He's a bounty hunter, tracking down other demons for the Jade Emperor. Because of his power, he can skip between centuries, capturing demons that cause problems, regardless of when they lived.

"He'll probably be back—or at least him from another time." He snorted. "I wish he'd just _die_. I've already killed him four or five times."

"So why would he bring you here?" Hakkai asked, more to humor him than because he believed him. He would slip up eventually…then they'd find out who he really was.

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. Probably just to cause trouble, like I said."

Hakkai opened his mouth to say something more, but caught a glimpse of Sanzo out of the corner of his eye. The priest had his eyes closed, and was massaging one temple; he looked like he had the migraine of the century.

"Sanzo?"

"Whatever. Let's just go," he said, turning on his heel and heading back towards the jeep.

Still confused, the others took one last glance at copy-Goku, then reluctantly followed Sanzo.

"Would you mind if I followed you?"

"_What?_"

"Would you mind if I tagged along?" the longhaired Goku asked.

"We're crowded enough as is, thanks," Gojyo replied dryly.

"I can provide my own transportation. It's just that I know Kyonoi will be back, and since he knows you're here now, he'll probably attack your party at some point. I need him to get back, so the faster he finds me again, the better, and your four are demon magnets. I'll stay out of your way. And I get your clear passage west, at least until I get back to my time."

"What do you mean, 'clear passage?'"

"You know all those minor demons you're always having to stop and fight, that are really more annoying than any fun to fight?"

"We do seem to get a lot of those," said Hakkai.

"I can get rid of them before you even hit the breaks."

They stared at him, disbelieving. "Really? Prove it," Goku demanded.

The other Goku smiled slightly. The forest they were in was nestled between two mountains; one on the left, one on the right.

He extended his right arm, and flicked his index finger.

A tiny spark of chi.

Which quickly grew to massive size as it barreled toward the mountaintop, leveling trees in its path, cutting a gouge in the Earth. When it finally hit the mountain itself, it took out over half.

The little valley had suddenly become a plain with a canyon running thorough it.

"And that's with three power limiters."

Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku all stared wide-eyed at the new terrain. Sanzo, still with his eye closed and a hand to his head, said, "Whatever. I don't care what you do. Let's just go."

R&R pretty please!


	2. Confined

A/N: This is really unusual for me, but I'ave actually got this story entirely planned out from beginning to end, so it's just a matter of me finding the time to write it down. It's not going to be horribly long, but at least two more chapter. Maybe three or four. I may even post fanart for this, as I have several ideas in mind.

And read my profile page!

Chapter 2

Confined

It was three days before their travels brought them to a village. Though older Goku—Seiten Taisei Son Goku, as he called himself—had kept himself separate from them, stopping two demon attacks before they had even begun. Sanzo was still extremely irritated; in fact, he was even grouchier than usual, even going off on Hakkai.

When at last they reached an inn, Sanzo ignored dinner, going straight to bed.

"Hey, monkey boy," Gojyo said, gesturing Seiten Taisei Goku over to their table. Seiten Taisei had followed them for the last three days on a floating cloud thing that left the half kappa baffled and the young monkey incredibly jealous. He never camped with them, however, and he never ate with them or really even spoke. That in itself was suspicious to Gojyo and Hakkai, coupled with the fact that he never once complained of hunger, but when they brought it up to Sanzo, the monk had merely said that he was who he said he was, but wouldn't give any basis for this statement.

"Come eat with us," the redhead said, pulling out a seat. The newcomer took the seat wordlessly, his constant blank expression still in place.

Gojyo and Goku ordered, and presently large quantities of plates heaping with food were brought to the table. The two of them began to dig in immediately, fighting over the various buns and rolls.

Hakkai watched as Seiten Taisei merely picked at his food—at least compared to Goku. He ate enough for a normal person, but no more, and didn't really seem to take any pleasure in the food.

_Why is Sanzo so sure this is actually Goku?_ He wondered. The two looked only a little similar when one got down to it, and their personalities were radically different. Hakkai looked a little harder. Their chi was very similar, though not identical. Seiten Taisei's seemed tainted somehow, but otherwise it was the same as Goku's.

As the food began to dwindle and the walking garbage disposals calmed down, there began to be a marked tension around the table. None of them had really interacted with Seiten Taisei; he kept to himself and rarely answered questions with more than a "yes" or "no." Even when he did, he always spoke in monotone. It was almost scary to see such meticulous emotional control in anyone even mildly resembling the boisterous monkey.

Hakkai decided to try to lighten the mood before the awkward atmosphere killed them.

"Would you care for some desert?" he asked, directing the question to Seiten Taisei.

"Yeah! Dessert!" Goku cried.

"No thank you," his twin replied quietly at the same time.

The table went silent.

"Really, you don't seem to be enjoying yourself at all," Hakkai said at last.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude," Seiten Taisei replied, looking up. He had begun fidgeting with his chopsticks. He placed them on the table now, then put his hands back in his lap.

"Geeze, would it kill you to smile or something?" Gojyo said. He reached for one of the last plates of spring rolls, snatching one before Goku got to them.

Seiten Taisei shook his head. "Strong emotions stress my limiters," he said. He ran his thumb over one of the gold bands on his wrists, and a few flakes of gold came off in his hand.

"I think you need a new limiter," Goku said around a mouthful of egg roll, courtesy of Gojyo's plate.

"No. This is fine for now," Seiten Taisei replied. His eyes darkened. "They only need to last until I get back to my time, which should be soon. I've drawn enough attention to myself with those demons that someone from heaven is probably trying to figure out how the hell I got here." It was true, too. The landscape had changed radically since he had begun getting rid of the demons for them. His Qidong lacked Hakkai's finesse—using just enough chi to hit one or two was out of the question. Instead, he would fry ten or twenty (minimum) and probably take out an acre of trees or part of a mountain in the process.

They had made really good time, though.

"So you can get new ones when you go back then?" Goku asked, not noticing his companion's change of expression.

"I won't need them, then," he replied. "I'm just going to break them when I get back, anyway."

All eyes were suddenly riveted to him as a small, slow, dangerous smile began to creep its way along his lips.

"I can't kill the Jade Emperor if I'm wearing limiters."

Sanzo tried covering his head with his pillow, but it didn't stop the screaming. Nothing had for the last three days. It was driving him crazy, and his head was pounding. He had gone to bed hours ago, but hadn't been able to sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep for the last two nights, that's to that damn monkey's voice.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He swung his legs off the bed and left his room. Four doors down, he barged into the room without knocking, and found Seiten Taisei sitting on his bed, not even attempting to sleep. He looked up when Sanzo entered.

"Just shut the hell up already," the priest ordered. "I'm here already, so quit calling me. Your damn voice is giving me a headache."

"Sorry," Goku replied in his quiet, monotone voice. "It's just like that time then, isn't it? When you saved me."

Sanzo remembered the first time he had heard that voice in his head. The damn brat calling and calling for him; he wouldn't shut up until Sanzo had traveled all the way to that mountain and released him. Even now he could sometimes hear the voice, but it had never been as intense as what he had been hearing over the last three days. If Goku had called to him, then Seiten Taisei was screaming.

He stood now, came up to Sanzo and stood before him with his head down. "You could always hear me, couldn't you? You always knew…"

"Just quit shouting at me. I haven't been able to sleep thanks to you."

"I haven't slept either." Goku looked up. Sanzo wasn't sure, but his face didn't look quite as impassive as it had a few moments before; he seemed almost sad. "I've hardly slept for five hundred years, because every time I close my eyes, I see—"

"What?"

Goku shook his head. His hands were shaking; he couldn't look at Sanzo anymore; it hurt too much.

"Hmp. Sanzo turned at started to walk away, but Goku caught his sleeve and pulled him back.

"What do you—"

He nearly choked on his words when he was suddenly embraced by Seiten Taisei.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Goku whispered, and Sanzo could feel dampness on his neck, where he had buried his face.

Sanzo grabbed his shoulders, ready to push him away, but then he realized that the screaming had stopped—or at least, dropped down to just a whisper. The relief was so welcome he reconsidered pushing him away.

For almost four hundred years, Goku had been forced to keep his emotions to himself in order to preserve his power limiters. To loose his temper or his control would mean his demon power would surface, shattering the limiters and sending him on a rampage. The last century in particular had been difficult; a glare, a smile, a tear, could all cause his limiters to crack. He had become accustomed to being alone; with his friends dead at the hands of the gods for almost four centuries, it had just become something he had to deal with.

Now though, seeing them all again, it was even harder. He had missed them so much, especially Sanzo. He had though he would never see him again; his protector, his friend. His everything.

Goku felt the tears leak out, slowly at first, relief at not being alone anymore. But then they came faster; five hundred years of pent up emotion, all pouring out onto cream colored robes and black leather. Before he knew what had happened, Seiten Taisei Son Goku, a heretic so powerful the gods themselves feared him and sought to control him, was sobbing on the shoulder of the least devout monk to ever walk the face of the earth.

Goku gripped Sanzo a little harder, half afraid to let go, unaware of how much he was scaring him until he was suddenly shoved backward with such force that he fell onto the bed.

"Stay away from me," Sanzo ordered. "Don't follow us tomorrow morning. I don't care who the fuck you are, but I never want to see you again." He backed quickly from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Goku pulled himself back onto the bed, resuming the position he had held earlier with his back to the wall and his knees to his chest, a few tears still sliding down his face.

Down the hall, the screaming in Sanzo's head resumed, even louder than before.

R&R, and check my profile.


	3. Awakening: Part 1

A/N: So I was walking around this morning in the rain, trying to come up with more ideas for this story, and this song came on my ipod. Normaly, it makes me think of Vampires (it _did_ come from the underworld soundtrack, after all), but I realized it was perfect for S.T. Goku in this fic.

I don't own the song, the characters, or the series. I'm just playing with them for now.

Chapter Three

Awakening—The Damning Well

Part 1

_I have control of a history untold_

_It begins with the father of sin_

_I walk alone in the garden of stones_

_I turn into the monster within_

_Life is too long for me_

_Life is too wrong for me_

Gojyo yawned and tossed his bag into the back of the jeep. "What's the big rush?" he asked Hakkai quietly. Sanzo had awakened them all before sunrise, ordering them to move out. Goku had barely managed to load his bag before passing out in the back seat, where he lay sprawled now, using his pack as a pillow.

"To be honest, I don't have any idea," Hakkai replied. "I—"

"Shut up. Quit your jabbering so we can get moving already," Sanzo snapped, pulling his gun from his robes. His head was throbbing so badly he could barely keep his eyes open; his only thought was getting the hell away from that creepy ape.

Hakkai and Gojyo exchanged glances, but did what they were told nonetheless. They weren't about to cross Sanzo so early in the morning.

"Eh, Sanzo," Hakkai ventured, "shouldn't we wait for—"

"No! Let's just go already," the monk replied testily.

"Are you sure--?"

"_Yes_, I'm sure. Now shut up and get in so we can leave."

"Okay then…"

Seiten Taisei Son Goku sat perfectly still on his little cloud above the in, watching the Sanzo party drive away.

_I really screwed that one up_, he thought, rubbing his thumb along the power limiter at his wrist. _I just miss him so bad…I couldn't help it._

Metal chips fell off in his hand. His limiters were in such poor shape now that one good hit would take them off, forget about his demon powers.

_I hope they find me soon,_ he thought. _I don't want to go rougue on these people._ The slow, dangerous smile returned. _No, that is a favor I reserve for the gods._

"Hakkai, when are we stopping? I'm hungry," Goku whined.

"Goku, please keep your voice down," Hakkai replied, casting a wary glance at Sanzo, who barely even seemed conscious.

"Hm?" Goku looked at Sanzo. "Sanzo? Are you okay?" He poked his shoulder. "Sanzo?"

"_Shut up_," the monk hissed, his eyes remaining tightly closed. "Just _shut up_ already."

"All the same, though, I think we should stop for a little while and give Hakuryu a rest," Hakkai said.

Sanzo made no reply, so Hakkai allowed the jeep to slow.

"We got any food in here?" Goku asked, already leaning over the back of the seat, searching for their bag of supplies.

"It's on the driver's side, I think," Hakkai replied.

"Yes!" Goku pulled out the sack with their lunches in it. "Are there any meat buns—"

"Hand over the scripture!"

The four looked up to see yet another pack of weak demons surrounding them, at least twenty.

"Jeeze, can you have worse timing? At least let me get my lunch in," Goku said.

"Your voice is really starting to get on my nerves," Sanzo said. He pulled out his gun, firing just over Goku's head, close enough that his hair was ruffled by the speed of the bullet, and hit one of the demons. "One more word and I'll kill you, instead."

Goku gulped. He had the funny feeling Sanzo was serious this time.

"Well, let's go ahead and get this over with, since the big monkey isn't here to do it," Gojyo said, summoning his staff.

"Yes. It was rather convienient having him around, wasn't it?" Hakkai replied as a ball of chi began to form in his hands.

"I don't want to hear about that damn ape!" Sanzo snapped, firing off three more shots into the crowd.

The demons began to attack, and the usual bloodbath ensued; the problem, however, was that the twenty or so initial demons were only the tip of the ice burg. Apparently, they had actually thought up some form of a strategy, which involved six times that number laying in wait, then coming at them in waves.

"Where do they keep coming from?" Goku asked, finishing off a couple more. "This is taking forever! When to I get my lunch?"

"Please allow me to help," said a quiet voice to his right. Goku turned; Seiten Taisei was sitting on his cloud as though he wasn't floating in the middle of a battle.

"You're late, asshole!"

"Sorry."

A group of demons broke off and tried to attack Seiten Taisei from the back. Without turning, he fired a chi-blast at them, successfully clearing half the battlefield and nearly singeing Gojyo's eyebrows off.

"Hey! Watch it with those things!"

Seitein Taisei's cloud vanished, and he dropped lightly to the ground.

_Cause there's something that_

_I realize_

_That I miss being human_

_I realize_

_That I miss being human_

_Nothing Times_

"I thought I told you not to follow us," Sanzo growled.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Seiten Taisei replied. The chi blast he fired carved claw-like gouges into the earth. "The sooner they catch me, the sooner I can go back."

"D-damn you!" cried one of the demons.

"Too late. I already am," Seiten Taisei answered, frying the speaker.

At last, the final demon was killed, and Sanzo, Gojyo, Goku, and Hakkai began heading back to the jeep.

"Halt!

Sanzo turned. "Who the hell are you?" There was a man in armor standing twenty yards away.

No. This wasn't a man.

"Itansai," Seiten Taisei greeted him with a small nodd.

"You two know each other?" Goku asked.

"You could say that," Seiten Taisei replied. He's a bounty hunter hired by the Jade Emporer to capture me."

Itansai grinned.

"Arrest him."

From nowhere, fifty heavenly gaurds appeared and attacked. Demons may not have stood a chance against the Sanzo party, but fifty heavily armed gods were an entirely different matter.

Seiten Taisei sliced the heads off of three before they could lay a finger on him, but his four companions were restrained in short order.

One of the guards gabbed Saiten Taisei from behind; as he struggled to break the hold, the limiter on his left wrist shattered. Fangs and claws extended, his hand went through the guard's skull like a hot knife through butter, spraying grey matter in all directions.

_I lose control as the story unfolds_

_I have been like a knife to bare skin_

_I walk alone like a king with no throne_

_I burn up from the monster within_

_Life is too long for me_

_Life is too wrong for me_

"What's taking you incompetant fools so long? Just grab him already," Itansai barked. He drew the sword from his belt, and sliced it towards the ground, a wave of dirt and rock rolling towards Seiten Taisei.

"You think a little earth can hurt me?" he asked, fangs bared in a wicked smile. "I _am_ the earth!" With a sweep of his hands, a the ground rushed up to meet Itansai, a tidal wave of dirt that buried him in seconds.

"General Itansai!" one of the soldiers called.

"Get him!"

The remaining soldiers lept on him, but he sliced through them as through through air. By the time he was finally restrained, he was covered in blood, and there were only five guards left, not counting the ones restraining the four travelers.

"Break his neck!" one of them order. There was a sickening crack, and Seiten Taisei went limp.

"That will only buy us time. We need to get him back as soon as possible," said the one who had taken charge.

"What about General Itansai?" one asked.

A hand popped out of the dirt where the bounty hunter in question was buried. Two men ran over to help pull him out.

"The target has been secured," one of them informed him as he brushed himself off. "The four extras though…what do we do with them?"

Itansai glanced at them. "We'll just take them with us. One of them is his past form; maybe the Emporer will up the price if we bring in both."

"What?" Goku shouted.

"Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Gojyo yelled.

Itansai looked at their captors. "Keep them quiet."

"Wha—"

That was all either of them managed before one of the guards brought the hilt of a sword down to the back of their heads.


	4. Awakening: Part 2

A/N: I don't own Saiyuki or this song, which is by the Damning Well and is really good.

Chapter Four

Awakening—The Damning Well

Part 2

Their escort tossed them unceremoniously into two tiny cells—Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo in one, and Sanzo and Seiten Taisei in the other. Apparently, they weren't considered much of a thread, because only one guard was left behind. He sat far at the other end of the hall, playing solitaire before dozing off in his seat.

_Why the hell did they put a dead body in a cell? _ Sanzo wondered. There was no doubt that Seiten Taisei was dead; the way his neck had snapped and the odd way his head was drooping was pretty definitive.

_Forget the ape. There are more important things right now,_ he thought, like the fact that they had confiscated both his gun _and_ his scripture. Like the fact that they were laughing when they did it, and discussing how it would be burned, "along with all the others," and then chained his hands behind his back.

_First thing's first; a way out, then worry about the scripture._ He didn't have many resources however; both his weapons were gone. His hands were bound, and the only light came through a tiny window at the top of his cell door. It wasn't like he kept a lock picking kit in his robes, and even if he did, he couldn't get to the lock.

_I hope Hakkai comes up with something,_ he though. _Maybe he could blast through the doors-_

There was a sudden sound of an explosion from a few cells down.

"Oops…heheheh…guess that won't work," said Hakkai's disembodied voice.

_Scratch that idea_. He glanced uneasily at the body lying next to him in the cell. At least with this older Goku dead, the screaming had stopped.

Maybe there was something on him that would help; some hidden weapon or something. Sanzo leaned over to investigate. The guards hadn't taken the scroll from the satchel at his belt. Curious more than anything else, Sanzo turned so he could reach the scrolls, pulling them out, he slipped off the string that held them closed, then rolled them across the cell floor to open them.

"The Seiten and Maten scriptures…" he breathed. "What the hell is that damn monkey doing with these?"

Something cracked in the ape's general direction. Sanzo turned to see Goku rolling his head from side to side, vertebrae popping left and right.

"What the hell?" Sanzo jumped back against the wall.

_Cause there's something that_

_I realize_

_That I miss being human_

_I realize_

_That I miss being human_

_Nothing Times_

"Gah…that hurts like hell," Seiten Taisei moaned. He looked around. _Won't be long now,_ he thought. "Sanzo?"

"What—you were dead—"

"No, I had a broken neck. …It takes a little more than that to kill me." With two of his power limiters gone, his face was more expressive than Sanzo had seen it thus far, and he wasn't speaking in monotone. He seemed to be having trouble pulling thoughts together, though.

Goku pulled himself into a sitting position. He could really feel the loss of his limiters; his pent-up emotions were raging just beyond the dam of his control, threatening to spill. He could smell Sanzo; the smell he had wanted for so long, but he could also smell his blood. His desire to kill was rising too, now that he was at last inside the palace of heaven, even if it was as a prisoner.

He examined the cell. He could easily break out, but he might sacrifice his last limiter. He needed it to last until he was brought before the Emperor before he could exact his revenge.

His eyes fell on the rolled out scriptures. "The scrolls!" He started to reach for them, before realizing his hands were bound behind his back.

"What were you doing with these?" Sanzo asked.

"They were entrusted to me," Goku replied, still staring at the scrolls and pointedly avoiding Sanzo's stare.

"By who?" he demanded.

Goku swallowed hard, remembering the last time he had been in a cell like this with Sanzo, knowing he was going to die.

_Sanzo coughed; a wet cough that sounded almost as unpleasant as it must have felt. One of the guards had hit him in the chest, and he was fairly certain there was at least one broken rib there, scratching at his lungs. _

_Goku slid over to him awkwardly, one shoulder dislocated, golden eyes wide with concern. "Sanzo, are you alright?"_

_Sanzo tried to hide the blood in his hand when he removed it from his mouth, but Goku could smell it. He inched a little closer. They had already killed Hakkai and Gojyo; they were planning something to the souls that would keep them from ever being reincarnated. He wouldn't let the same thing happen to Sanzo. _

_"Goku, I need you to listen to me," the monk said, his breath shallow with pain. He knew he wouldn't last long if they chose to fight again, and even shorter if they just gave up. _

_He removed the Maten scripture from his shoulders, rolling it carefully, and took the Seiten from his robes. He placed both in Goku's good hand. _

_"Take these," he said, another bout of coughing consuming him. "Take them. Hide them. Do something. Just keep them safe," Sanzo demanded. _

_Footsteps echoed down the stone hall; Sanzo tucked the scrolls into Goku's shirt. The cell door opened, the shaft of light temporarily blinding them both. By the time Goku could see again, Sanzo was gone._

Goku couldn't bring himself to answer; couldn't tell Sanzo that he was responsible for his death. That he couldn't save him.

"Answer me!" Sanzo demanded, kicking Goku in the shoulder and knocking him over.

He closed his eyes, turning away from Sanzo. "You did," he whispered.

"That's a lie. I'd never leave the scrolls with you. I don't even have both of them right now!" He paused. "Where did you get the Seiten Scripture?"

"From you," Goku replied, pulling himself back into a sitting position. "We got it back from Gyoukumen Kousho. You left it to me when—"

"When _what_?"

"…When you died." Goku stared hard at the floor, balling and unballing his fists.

Sanzo stared at him. "I would never do such a thing."

"You did."

"No!"

Goku shook his head. "Regardless of what you do or don't believe, that's the way it happened." He fidgeted with the chain of his manacles. It snapped easily. He rolled up the scrolls tucking them back in the bag before snapping the chains at his ankles.

He reached into the second sack, pulling out one of the little red stones. It was semi-transparent; a dark blood red that glowed strangely in the dim light.

"Do you know what this is?" Goku asked, holding the stone between two clawed fingers so it caught the light from the window.

"It's some kind of jewel," Sanzo replied. "Probably magical, since it came off your limiter."

"It's not a stone," Goku replied. "It's the crystallized blood of a god. Konzen Douji's to be exact."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed. He knew that name from somewhere.

"Yours in a past life."

"What!"

"Your first incarnation was as god," Goku explained. "That was when we first met. Later, you were incarnated as a human—the way you are now. Through each incarnation, I was always with you; first because you were supposed to take care of me, but then because I wanted to be with you. The gods always made sure our paths crossed, because you have power over me; you can keep my demonic energy in check.

"But the gods realized you couldn't be reincarnated fast enough; there would always be a few years when I was left to my own devices, and that made me a danger in their eyes. So they took you…and…" Goku squeezed his eyes shut. "_killed_ you. Because your first incarnation was a god, that is the form your soul goes back to if it's left on it's own for too long. They did something; kept you from fully regaining a physical form, but took blood from the god form. Made these jewels. Made new power limiters for me.

"They're supposed to keep me under control, but it's been five hundred years, and I just keep getting stronger. The Jade Emperor made these, but they're not as strong as that one _you_ made for me. They crack every time I use my power." He touched his headband, and a piece came off in his hand. He held it in his palm, staring at the glittering gold and red.

"That's why I want to kill the Emperor. He killed you; he made it so I was always alone. It's like being tapped in that damn mountain again, even though I can move around. Because of him, I know you won't come back." The pieces of his limiter slipped from his hand, tinkling on the stone floor as Goku drew his knees up to his chest.

Down the hall, footsteps and voices could be heard. In a matter of minutes they would be taken up before the Emperor.

Goku stretched out again. He was running out of time. He looked over at Sanzo, who still seemed to be digesting what he had told him.

Goku leaned over, brushing his lips along Sanzo's in a feather-light kiss.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you," he whispered. The latch on the cell rattled. "I love you."

The door opened as Goku pulled away.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? How did you get out of your chains?" the guard demanded.

Seiten Taisei didn't answer, merely slipped his impassive mask back place and allowed himself to be restrained as he was lead from the cell.

The five of them were chained together at the wrists; a long chain of travelers led up from the dungeon to the throne room where the Jade Emperor would decide their fate.

Two burly guards took Seiten Taisei by the elbows, half dragging him up the stairs; behind him followed Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai , and Gojyo.

When they reached the throne room, they were made to kneel on the red carpet, one of the guards pushing Seiten Taisei's head down into a respectful position.

"Seiten Taisei Son Goku," began the Jade Emperor, "You have been brought here today to face justice for your many crimes. The murder of War Prince Nataku, as well as that of Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo, and Genjo Sanzo, not to mention countless others; gods, humans, and demons alike."

"Don't try to blame me for your crimes," Seiten Taisei growled, his eyes molten as he glared at the Emperor. "If you're going to try me for murder, at least try me for the ones I've committed."

"Silence!"

Seiten Taisei looked down at his shaking hands. Beside him, he was aware of Sanzo watching him; Hakkai and Gojyo were muttering something; one of the guards silenced them with blows to the head, though neither was knocked out.

"Sanzo?" Seiten Taisei whispered, trying to keep the guard from hearing him. The monk made no reply, but he was near enough that he could feel the subtle shift in his position that meant he was listening.

"_Run_."

_I like hunting the pieces_

_I like hunting the pieces_

_I like hunting the pieces_

_Cause I have come to need this_

_I like hunting the pieces_

_I like hunting the pieces_

_Cause I have come to need this_

_Shell_

That was all the warning Sanzo got; the next instant, Seiten Taisei looked up, the fire in his eyes like the fires of hell, his shackles and power limiter shattering. Before the shards of the limiter had even hit the ground, Seiten Taisei had leapt across the room, claws to the Emperor's throat.

Panic broke out. The onlookers tried to flee as the guards tried to control the Monkey King with no luck.

Someone grabbed Sanzo's shoulder.

"Hurry, come with me," ordered the Merciful Goddess, pulling him to his feet and dragging him out of the throne room through a secret chamber. Still chained together, the other three followed.

The door led through a small chamber into a crowded hall filled with panicked people and guards. She pulled them through the through, along dozens of twisting corridors, until the halls were empty. She pushed open a door, yanking them down a flight of stairs.

The sounds from above became muffled, but they could still hear the screams from the throne room. Goku was shaking. _A—Am I really like that?_ He wondered.

"Will he be alright?" Hakkai asked.

"Goku will be fine," she replied hurriedly, pulling open cabinets.

They were in what appeared to be a laboratory, full of stainless steel. The lights were off, the only illumination coming from a few screens and strange looking experiments.

At last Kanzeon Bosatsu found what she was looking for; there was a torch in one of the cabinets, which she used to burn off their chains.

"Help me with these," she said, moving towards the hidden, rear portion of the lab.

The four exchanged glances, but followed her past rows of shelves.

Somewhere near the back, there was a glow.

"What's that noise?" Goku asked. Something was rattling; it sounded like metal on metal, or maybe glass on metal.

"They're back here," she said, leading them around the last bend.

There were three glowing orbs, each the size of a man's head sitting on the shelf. Two sat neatly on cup-shaped pedestals, one red, one green. Both were covered in paper wards, and seemed to hum a little.

Kanzeon took them, tossed them at Gojyo and Hakkai. "Get those wards off, and make it quick," she said, reaching for the third.

The third orb was a bright shade of violet. It was encased in an hourglass-like contraption full of springs, and shook violently, the springs only just keeping it from crashing to the floor.

Kanzeon grabbed at one of the wards, but the orb was shaking so hard she couldn't get a grip on it.

"Damnit! Hold still will you? I can't let you out if you keep moving around!"

"'Let you out?' What're in these things?" Startled, Gojyo held the orb he was working on at arms length.

"They're souls. Souls of gods," she replied. The glowing violet ball had calmed slightly, though it still seemed to hum with energy. She grabbed at one of the wards and began peeling it off.

"What?"

"These are the souls of three gods, punished by the Jade Emperor for ignoring his edicts," she said. "They were once prominent in his court, but when they sided with a heretic against him, he ordered them executed. They were quite powerful however, so he has kept their souls contained here, so that he can use their power. Ah!" The last ward gave; she released the orb from the mechanism, raised it over her head, and brought it crashing to the floor.

Glass shot in every direction, purple mist rising from the ruin and quickly solidifying into a human figure; he hit the ground in a roll and came up running for the door; he was gone before any of them could get a look at him beyond flashes of violet and blonde hair.

"Smash those once the wards are off," she ordered Hakkai and Gojyo as she followed after.

By the time he reached the throne room, it had become a pool of blood, but Goku was still going. Close to a hundred broken bodies littered the floor; the mangled, shredded corpse of the Jade Emperor was still seated in the throne, recognizable only by its location.

The guards had stopped coming. There wasn't a single living soul left in the throne room except for him, and Goku, who was tearing a body in the corner into tiny pieces.

Goku looked up when he entered. He was covered in blood from head to foot, but his bloodlust wasn't sated yet. When he saw him, he made a mad dash for him, ready to strike.

"You damn monkey," he muttered under his breath. He extended his arm, catching Goku around the forehead.

There was a brilliant glow of gold; when it faded, Goku stood before him, his simple gold limiter back in place for the first time in centuries.

Goku fingered the headband, as though unable to believe it was really there. He looked at him, his golden eyes once again holding a bit of that childish innocence he had once been famous for.

_Cause there's something that_

_I realize_

_That I miss being human_

_Cause there's something that_

_I realize_

_That I miss being human_

_I teach lies_

_That I miss being human_

_I teach lies_

_That I miss being human_

_I teach lies_

"Damn brat," Konzen muttered, sweeping out of the room, brushing past Sanzo and the others, plus Kenren and Tenpou as he exited.

"Konzen…"

"Jeeze," Kenren muttered as Konzen disappeared down the hall. "You whine for five hundred years, and then he finally shows up again and that's the best you can do? Never mind that we don't even get a hello…"

Goku snapped back to the present. "Ken-nii! Ten-chan!" he cried, greeting them both with hugs. The Sanzo party stared on, confused.

"Ten…chan?"

"Ken…nii?"

"We should probably send them back now, shouldn't we?" Tenpou said with a laugh.

"Yeah, probably," Kenren replied. He shoved Goku into the hall, jerking his head in the direction Konzen had gone with a wink. Seiten Taisei smiled, and ran off after the purple-clad god.


	5. You Set Me Free

A/N: The song is by Michelle Branch (no, I don't like her music, I just use it for pretty much every fanfic I write….XD)

I don't own Saiyuki, either.

Chapter Five

You Set Me Free

_Can't you see?_

_There's a feeling that's come over me_

_Close my eyes_

_You're the only one that leaves me completely breathless_

Son Goku tore down the halls of the heavenly palace, flying as fast as his feel would take him. _He's here, he's really here! I can't have been dreaming. There's no way…!_

_No need to wonder why_

_Sometimes a gift like this you can't deny_

He finally skidded to a stop at the end of one hall. Further down he could see the room he had shared with Konzen so many years ago. Inside, it sounded like someone was throwing things.

_That has to be him._

Goku approached, standing just outside the door, suddenly shy, half afraid to enter. On the other side of the door a familiar voice swore and he smiled.

_Yes, that's him,_ he thought, and pulled open the door.

_'Cause I wanted to fly,_

_So you gave me your wings_

_And time held its breath so I could see, yeah_

_And you set me free_

Konzen kicked boxes out of the way. In his absence his bedroom and office had been turned into a storage room, and it looked like it hadn't been dusted in a thousand years, which it probably hadn't.

"This is all your fault, you damn monkey," he snapped as Goku entered. "I'm not your fucking repair man, or your—"

"I know," Goku replied. He could feel tears of relief and joy welling up in his eyes. "I know. You're everything." He grabbed the god's wrist, pulling him down for a deep kiss.

_There's a will_

_There's a way_

_Sometimes words just can't explain_

_This is real_

_I'm afraid_

_I guess this time there's just no hiding, fighting_

_You make me restless_

As he pulled away, Goku felt sure that Konzen would hit him; beat him with his fan as he always had. Yell and scream at him for being a moron.

He would welcome it though. Just to be with him again, for any reason, in any way was paradise.

Konzen didn't hit him, however. For a long time, he was silent. Goku put his arms around Konzens shoulders, laying his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"You damn ape," Konzen muttered. He stroked Goku's hair once, almost lovingly, then stepped back, pulling out of the embrace.

"Clean this up," he ordered, kicking one of the boxes again, sending a stack tumbling. Papers and scrolls tumbled out. Konzen picked them up, sorting through them.

"_Damn_." _A thousand years, and they never bothered to get a replacement for me?_ he wondered. _Shit, I'm going to be behind for centuries…_

The fan swung down, walloping Goku soundly on the head. "Idiot! Why did you have to bring me back when there was this much work waiting for me?"

"But I didn't—"

"Stupid ape!" _Smack!_

Goku covered his head, a true smile curling his lips for the first time in years.

_You're in my heart_

_The only light that shines_

_There in the dark_

Konzen slid the door to the bedroom shut. He never would have thought he could have been this exhausted after basically sleeping for the last five hundred years.

He had set Goku to work clearing off the bed and making room to sleep while he tried to catch up on some of the forms; Konzeon had taken the liberty of placing the most important papers on his desk and informing him that he had better be caught up in a week or she would personally be handing him his ass on a platter.

"Where is that damn ape anyway?" he wondered, for Goku was no where to be seen in the bedroom, though he could have been anywhere; there were still towering stacks of boxes and files all over, and there was no place to move them to.

A slight breeze ruffled his hair. After peering around the boxes, he found the door to the balcony partially opened. A shadow was visible on the other side of the paper screen.

"What are you doing?" Konzen demanded, though half a second later, he had his answer and the vein on his temple began throbbing.

"You idiot! How many times have I told you not to do that?" he shouted, whacking Goku over the head as one of his paper airplanes did a loop-de-loop and glided gently back towards the balcony. The other continued to sail downward and landed in the koi pond.

"Oww! But Konzen! They were just lying around—"

"You idiot! Do you know how long it's going to take me to get through all of this? I'm going to be stuck here for the next thousand years thanks to you stupidity, you—"

Konzen's arms were flailing as the fan cut through the air. Goku ducked under them, leaning up to give him another kiss.

_'Cause I wanted to fly,_

_So you gave me your wings_

_And time held its breath so I could see, yeah_

_And you set me free_

The fan vanished; Goku pulled Konzen down onto the balcony, working his lips gently but earnestly. Konzens fingers became entangled in the monkey's hair as well as his own, gold and chestnut blending together on the wood floor.

Konzen finally pulled away when Goku began to run his tongue along his lips, begging silently for more.

Goku followed him back into the bedroom. Konzen sat on the edge of the bed, newly made by Goku, and kicked off his sandals.

"Isn't about time you started sleeping in your own room?"

Goku knelt at his feet, folding his arms across his lap and placing his chin on his wrists. "I'd rather share one with you," he replied, looking up with doleful golden eyes, looking like the pet he was.

Konzen raised his eyebrow. "And what makes you think I want to share a room with you?"

The heretic stood, bracing his hands on the god's thighs as he leaned forward, his face almost touching Konzen's as he looked him in the eye.

"If you want me to leave, tell me and I'll go, but you can't get rid of me. I'll always come back. I'll always find you, or annoy the hell out of you until you find me. If you die, I'll search all of earth, heaven, and hell until I find your reincarnation. I wouldn't care if you were reincarnated as a damn house fly, as long as I got to be with you," he said, punctuating this statement with a kiss.

_When I was alone_

_You came around_

_When I was down_

_You pulled me through_

_And there's nothing that_

_I wouldn't do for you_

"Now that's just sick," Konzen replied, but this time Goku's tongue traced his lip, he opened his mouth and allowed him to enter.

Goku pushed him down on the mattress, already lost in the heady feeling of kissing the person he loved most in the world. Konzen was hardly a romantic, or even that affectionate, but when he ran his hands down the heretic's back, Goku thought he would die of pleasure right then and there.

_'Cause I wanted to fly,_

_So you gave me your wings_

_And time held its breath so I could see, yeah_

_And you set me free_

Goku rolled onto his side, tucking his head beneath Konzen's chin.

The god glared.

"You could at least get your own bed."

Goku shook his head, sliding his arm possessively around Konzens waist. "Good pets always sleep with their masters."

"Who said you were good?"

Goku turned his face upward, licking Konzens neck and nippy his earlobe. "You haven't _seen_ naughty yet."


End file.
